


Glass Hearts

by lasairfhiona



Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 15:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ainsley is getting gifts but who are they from?</p><p> </p><p>Through Inauguration Day part 1 & 2 as well as California 47th but I'm ignoring Leo's relationship with Jordan</p><p>This is for Jeanine because she's put up with me addicting her to a new show and making her write fic for it. It was supposed to be out for Valentine's Day but real life got me behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glass Hearts

Ainsley looked suspiciously at the black velvet box sitting in the middle of her desk. She knew it hadn't been there when she left in the wee hours last night because she'd made a point of clearing off her desk so she didn't come in to a mess this morning. Whoever had left it there kept hours worse than she did because she had only been gone for a few hours which left out most of the Councel's office since only a few of the deputy councels worked as late as she did or come in as early. She could probably also count out most the junior staffers too since they weren't prone to work the long hours either. That left the senior staff and the senior assistants. They kept long hours and since it was only a week or so until Inauguration Day they had been busy finalizing plans for next week. The only other people she could think of who kept the long or late hours were the military watch commanders for the Situation Room most of whom she'd never met even in passing. Sam was the most likely candidate to leave a gift on her desk, especially since he'd done it before on several occasions. She could say he was her first and closest friend from the White House. But it couldn't be him because he was supposed to be in California. Did this mean he'd come back for some reason?

Pulling the small envelope from under the box, she flipped it over. The fact the heavy linen paper was sealed with a dollop of cobalt blue sealing wax with the impression of a star in the center surprised her. No one used sealing wax anymore, no matter how many times Barnes and Noble tried to sell it to them. Using her letter opener, she gently slit the top of the envelope. For some crazy reason she wanted to preserve the seal.

Ainsley pulled out the folded note. Even though the handwriting was vaguely familiar, she couldn't place it with an owner. She knew without out a doubt the gift hadn't come from Sam. She knew his handwriting as well as she knew her family members. She'd seen it scrawled on the margins of memos ever since she came to work for the Bartlet administration. While she was always touched by his gifts, he wasn't the one she wanted to be getting gifts from. There was someone else she'd love to get a gift from. She, however, doubted he even noticed her presence on a regular basis and even if he did, why would he be interested in a much younger woman like her. His much speculated on 'friendship' with Jordan Kendall proved she wasn't his type of woman. Even knowing all that, however, Ainsley couldn't help the way she felt about Leo McGarry.

The bold scrawl on the note read:

_The moment I saw this, I knew it was meant for you._

There was nothing else. No signature. Nothing telling her who the gift was from. She was almost afraid to open it but curiosity got the better of her. Lifting the lid she gasped when she saw the contents. Nestled on a bed of black velvet was a plump blue and silver glass heart on a long silver chain. Picking it up, its weight surprising her, she rolled it in her hand, watching as the light reflected against the silver under the light blue glass. Picking up the box while she kept the heart grasped in one hand, she again looked for some clue as to who the gift had come from. The only thing she found was an impression on the bottom of the box for Murano glass works in Venice Italy. Who ever 'he' was, he certainly had good taste.

If she worked any other place but the White House, she would have called for security without even opening the note. Whoever had given her the pendant had to work here too. No ordinary Joe off the street could have left this for her. But who would have? Who would leave her an anonymous gift?

The chain was long enough so Ainsley was able to slip it on over her head without undoing the clasp. The glass heart nestled between her breasts as if the chain had been fitted for her. The dark blue of her suit set the colour off perfectly.

)O( * )O( * )O(

It had been a week since the glass heart had shown up on her desk and Ainsley was no closer to finding out who had given it to her than she had been on the day she received it. She wore it every day in hopes she would be able to figure out who had given it to her, but 'he' was still a mystery. Everyone she crossed paths with had commented on it, asking where she'd gotten it or who'd given it to her. With the White House grapevine the way it was, it didn't take long for the story of her secret admirer to circulate all over the West Wing. She hadn't received the ribbing she'd expected though. However, she knew there was a pool going with bets as to his identity. The men they were guessing were intriguing choices, some of whom she'd never met. Funny, though, no one guessed Leo. Even the President had made a comment about it then proceeded to tell her about Italian glassmaking, much to the chagrin of the others in the room. 

Today promised to be a slow day, for her at least. Not only was it a Sunday but it was also Inauguration Day and even though the West Wing was bustling with last minute preparations, no one from the Counsel's office was in and working. Anyone who might have come in either was going to listen to the speech Toby and Will had worked so furiously on or was staying home to watch it in comfort and warmth. Ainsley knew today was the perfect day to get ahead. She wouldn't, or shouldn't, have near the interruptions she would have on a normal day. The minute she walked into her office, however, she knew her plans to get ahead were about to go awry. Sitting in the middle of her desk was a long flat box wrapped in a patterned blue paper.

Circling her desk, Ainsley looked at the box. For the same reason she didn't break the wax seal on the note with the heart, Ainsley carefully removed the wrapping paper. Lifting the lid she saw a small sealed envelope sitting atop what looked like tickets. Ignoring the note for the moment, she picked up the tickets below. They were tickets to the Inaugural Balls, all eight of them, including the most exclusive of the balls – the New Hampshire ball. She dropped into her chair with a heavy thud. She'd been given tickets to the Inaugural Balls. Her plans were definitely going awry. There was no way she could not go, even if she was the lone Republican in a sea of Democrats. She finally picked up the note, slitting the top of the envelope to once again preserving the seal and read the same bold handwriting:

_Join us tonight and dance the night away_

Once again there were no clues as to who this mystery man was; hopefully tonight she would find out who he was.

Sitting back in her chair, Ainsley started to read one of the files she pulled from the top of the stack, absently playing with the glass heart as she did. Over the past week it had become her favourite piece of jewelry. She often found herself holding it in her hand as she read, like she was now. The file couldn't hold her attention. Her mind kept wandering back to her mystery man and the gifts she was receiving from him. Who was he?

Finally giving up on the file, she tossed it back on her desk and looked at the box of tickets. *He* wanted her to be there tonight. Once again the only person she could rule out was Sam, as he hadn't returned from California, even for this event. Well, okay, she could also rule out the President because he was married, and Toby because he wanted to be remarried. But that still left out a lot of people from the West Wing and the OEOB.

As much as she liked the attention and the mystery of a secret admirer, she also worried about how she would react when she discovered *who* he was. Would she be able to hide her disappointment when it didn't turn out to be the person she wanted it to be?

Ainsley put down the tickets and picked the file back up. She was determined to get some work done before she had to go home and prepare for the evening even if it meant forcing herself to do so.

*****

The balls had been wonderful and far exceeded her expectations of what they would be like. She had danced with a whole host of people; senators, staffers and even Toby at one of the balls when Andrea had begged off due to sore feet. Once again she had no clue as to who 'he' was. There was no one person who stuck out as the man who was giving her gifts or maybe she was so focused on her secret wish that it would be Leo that she missed some sign as to who he was.

The final ball she went to was the New Hampshire Ball. The ticket she'd received for this one included a typed note requesting she be here at a certain time and she'd made it with time to spare. She'd already danced with several members of Congress when she heard the change of music indicating the President had arrived.

She begged off another dance with a junior representative to go in search of something to drink. At the bar she requested a tonic water with lime and took it to stand near an out of the way table and watch the people swarm around the President for their time with their leader. Just as she took a sip she heard a voice call her name.

"Ainsley."

She knew that voice. Turning, she saw Leo standing behind her with a smile on his face.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked as he moved to stand beside her.

"Yes, I am," she answered. She really was enjoying herself, much to her surprise, and the night was getting better by leaps and bounds now that he was here.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked holding out his hand.

Would she care to dance? Was he really standing there smiling at her and asking her to dance with him? Was she really awake? "I'd love to," she finally answered, taking his hand and letting him lead her out onto the dance floor. Because of the low cut of her dress, he had no alternative but to rest his one hand on the bare skin of her back when he took her into his arms. Ainsley knew she would feel the warm impression of his hand on her skin long after their dance ended.

The band was playing Frank Sinatra's "Sentimental Over You" and in her opinion they couldn't have picked a better song considering how she felt about Leo. Neither one of them spoke as they danced and she wasn't sure she could have held an intelligent conversation with his body brushing against hers the way it was. When the final strains of the song faded away, Leo led her from the dance floor back toward the table he'd found her near. 

"Have you found out who gave you the necklace yet?" Leo asked, nodding to the glass heart, when they reached the table.

Ainsley shook her head and picked up the heart from where it lay against the midnight blue of her dress. She turned it over in her hand, looking at it again as if somewhere in its depths she would find the answer of who'd given it to her. She released it, letting it once again rest against her chest. "Not yet," she finally answered, taking a sip of her drink.

"Do you have any guesses as to who he might be?"

"None. I've tried to figure out who he is by the reactions I've gotten about this," she answered once again running her hand over the pendant. "But I can't tell. It's driving me nuts. He gave me tickets for tonight too. He wanted me here tonight but…" she rambled on as she often did when she as nervous and she was definitely nervous with him still so close to her.

"Maybe he's nervous about how you'll react when you find out who he is," Leo commented.

She thought about what Leo had said. She'd always been focused on how she'd react when she found out who this mystery man was that she didn't think about how he would react to being discovered. "You could be right. Although," she paused for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase what she wanted to say.

"Although…" Leo urged her to continue.

"He has to have seen me wearing this all week. He has to know I'm here but he hasn't revealed himself," she said, the frustration she felt at not being able to find out who he was showing through as she once again touched the heart, "I have to admit, whoever he turns out to be, I love this."

Leo smiled slightly as he watched her continually touch the pendant. "I'm sure he will be glad to hear that," he stated, and then asked, "Aren't you nervous about meeting him?"

Ainsley tipped her head down a bit. "A little," she admitted quietly.

Leo chuckled softly at her admission. "I'd have been worried if you weren't."

"It's funny though," she continued, "I'm not *scared* of him per se. The gifts were left in my office, not my home and because of that I know he has to work in the White House and has been vetted by the Secret Service. Which means he isn't some joe-schmo off the street."

"That would take him out of the joe-schmo category for sure because we don't let just anyone work here," Leo teased.

"You sure about that?" Ainsley countered, teasing him back. "I mean you hired me. Unless that has something to do with your taste."

Leo didn't answer, it was one direction he didn't want to go. He just joined her in laughter.

"Are you two allowed to be having so much fun?" another voice asked.

Ainsley turned and sputtered, "Mr. President." If caught unprepared, he could still make her nervous but not nearly as much as when she first came to work for the Council's Office.

"It's a party isn't it?" Leo retorted with a smile that contradicted his words.

"That it is," the President responded finally smiling at them, before asking Ainsley, "May I have this dance?"

Glancing at the First Lady who had come up behind her husband, Ainsley saw her nod and turned back to the President answering, "I'd be honoured to, sir."

The President led her off to the dance floor and she saw that Leo and the First Lady followed behind them. She was once again quizzed on whether she had discovered the identity of her secret admirer. She'd realized that evening that the senior staff, the President included, was just as intrigued with the mystery behind the gift as she was. Ainsley admitted something to the President that she hadn't said to Leo. She told him that while she didn't know who 'he' was there was someone she hoped it was. She was thankful when the President refrained from asking who, telling him she was interested in his best friend wasn't something she really wanted to do. She didn't know why she'd told him at all. Maybe it was because he was a good man, political views aside, and treated his staff as if they were an extended part of his family. At the end of the song the President returned her to the spot they started from, she discovered, much to her disappointment, Leo had moved on. It wasn't until later that she saw him again when the President and the senior staff left the party en mass.

Ainsley stayed a little while longer, but by the end of the evening, she was tired and her feet had finally started to hurt. It was time to go home. Eight Inaugural Balls and she was no closer to discovering who her mystery man was. On the cab ride home she played with the glass heart and thought back over the events of the evening. Everything aside, the best part of the evening for her was the few moments she had spent in Leo's arms, although the conversation with him had been interesting too. For the first time since the day she received the glass heart pendant then went to a meeting with him and Toby he said anything about the pendant. She couldn't help but wonder if his interest was the sign she was looking for as to who *he* was. Could her mystery man possible be Leo? Then the realistic side of her took over and she decided thinking it might be Leo was just wishful thinking on her part.

)O( * )O( * )O(

Almost two weeks had passed since the Inauguration and life had returned to normal or as normal as it ever could be when you worked for the President of the United States. Besides business being as usual the special election in California was the following week and the White House had also bumped up its support of Sam, which included a Presidential visit to a Seaborn for Congress rally and fundraiser. They were doing everything they could to help ensure a victory for Sam in a race where he was the underdog and by all of Wills accounts the DNC had given up on him. Ainsley wished the best for Sam but she knew she'd miss seeing him on a regular basis should he win the election. And to top it off, the mystery man had also gone underground. There had been nothing from him since she'd received the tickets to the balls. She wasn't sure she was disappointed or relieved, probably a little of both. Maybe he'd decided not to pursue her. Or maybe he was just waiting for something, although what that something might be, she didn't know. She'd often wondered in the days after the balls whether or not he'd been there. Had they talked? Had she danced with him?

In the wake of the President's declaration on Inauguration day and his support of the people of Kuhndu she'd been assigned, as a representative of the Council's office, to work with Jordan Kendall. Jordan's international experience, and the fact she was already working as special council to the Chief of Staff, and her own knowledge of international law and her ability to keep them in line with republican views made them a good team to work on the Kuhndu case. This, of course, meant she was in and out of Leo's office on a regular basis, which was both heaven and hell for her, considering how she felt about Leo. Although, the more she worked with Jordan, the more she liked her and understood why the office gossip had paired Leo with her. They worked well together and it was obvious they were close friends by the way they interacted with each other.

It was Saturday and while she didn't have anything on her schedule per se she was taking advantage of the lesser weekend activity by coming in so she could work in peace on some documents and language for her meeting with Leo and Jordan on Monday. She saw it the minute she walked into her office. There, in the middle of her desk, like the other two times, was a box. This time it was wrapped in red paper covered in roses. Circling her desk, she sat down and picked up the box. Tucked under one end of the bow was the note. This time the sealing wax was red instead of the cobalt blue it had been with the other two. The star imprint in the wax, however, was the same. Slitting the top of the envelope, she pulled the note out and read the bold handwriting she was coming to recognize from the previous notes.

_A little something to hold down your papers._

Like the other notes, this one it wasn't signed either. She carefully removed the paper and folded it before setting it aside to open the box. Inside, she discovered a medium sized red alabaster heart. A paperweight. Just when she thought he'd stopped, he surprised her with another gift. This one, however, narrowed the field of people it could be considerably. She picked up the heart and held it between her hands feeling the smooth surface. Whoever had given her this gift also had to know she used her soda can or bottle of water to weigh down the papers she was carried with her to keep them from getting out mixed up or misplaced.

Pulling the folders from her briefcase, she set the heart on top of them. Before getting started, Ainsley put the wrapping paper and the note in the folder with the others. Her assumption he'd given up was wrong and the part of her that had been disappointed was glad to see the gift. He obviously had been waiting until he felt the time was right to present her with another gift. For the rest of the day every time she switched folders and was forced to pick up the heart, she couldn't help but smile at the latest gift.

****

She was early for her meeting with Leo and Jordan, but Margaret had her to go ahead and wait in Leo's office until the Chief of Staff finished with his meeting with the President. She pulled out the folders with the language they were to go over and most likely redo yet again and set the heart on top of her pile while setting the copy for Jordan in another pile. She'd already left the copy for Leo with Margaret earlier that morning, so he'd have a chance to review it. Like herself, Jordan was also early so she gave the other woman a copy of the report once she was settled. Together they sipped the coffee Margaret had gotten for them and talked about the documents while they waited for Leo.

"New paperweight?" Jordan asked when she saw the heart in place of the bottle of water.

"It was a gift," Ainsley replied, reaching out to touch it as she spoke.

"Oh, from who?" Jordan asked. She didn't follow the West Wing gossip but she liked Ainsley and was interested.

Ainsley's, "I wish I knew," was drowned out by Leo coming in and saying, "Let's get to work," before the door was even closed behind him.

The meeting had been fast and furious with all three of them commenting on wording and revisions upon revisions of the documents being made. By the time they were finished, the margins of Ainsley's copy was filled with more notes in her own version of shorthand. Just as she was packing up her papers Leo asked, "He strike again?" nodding toward the heart in her hand.

She smiled and nodded as she answered, "Just this weekend. He almost had me believing he'd given up."

Jordan looked at her confused. Ainsley had told her it was a gift but she hadn't elaborated on it having more meaning than the fact it was a simple gift.

Seeing Jordan's confused look and explained, knowing the other woman hadn't been party to the speculation about her mystery man. "I seem to have a secret admirer. He leaves me gifts on my desk." 

"Oh…" Jordan replied "And you don't have any idea who he is?"

Ainsley shook her head. "No. Although with him knowing to give me a paperweight, cuts the field probably in half, or more. Only someone who had worked with me before would know about the paperweight thing."

"Aren't you scared about what this could mean?" Jordan asked.

"I probably should be but I'm not. Whoever he is works here. He's been vetted already." CJ had asked her the same thing and she more than understood CJ's concern about a potential hazard to her especially after everything CJ had been through. But she honestly wasn't afraid of him, whoever he was. Maybe she was just being naïve. She'd been accused of it many times before, but it didn't feel like he was menacing.

"Leo, shouldn't someone be looking into this?" Jordan asked, turning her attention to him. She liked Ainsley and didn't want to see her getting in over her head and she knew he had the power to make sure this was checked into.

He looked between the two women. "I mentioned it to Ron and he checked into it. He said Ainsley was in no danger."

"Did he tell you who my 'mystery man' is?" Ainsley asked wondering what Leo knew.

"Ron wouldn't say. Something about keeping it in the vein it was intended," Leo answered, hoping to appease Jordan but not take the fun and mystery out of it for Ainsley. "Valentine's is coming up, maybe he'll reveal himself then," he suggested.

"Are you sure?" Jordan asked wanting to be positive this wasn't a threat.

"I'm sure," Leo answered.

"Okay then," Jordan conceded, sounding an awful lot like Leo. She then turned to Ainsley and suggested, "Let's do lunch," just as Margaret stuck her head in the door to remind Leo of his next meeting.

"Sounds good," Ainsley replied and together the two women left Leo's office, leaving him standing shaking his head at them.

)O( * )O( * )O(

Another almost two weeks passed with nothing from the 'mystery man'. Ainsley was definitely getting frustrated. She wanted to know *who* he was and she was tired of waiting until he made the next move. If she knew *who* he was she'd make the move for him just so something was happening.

Today was Valentine's Day and she was already wishing the day was over. She was tired of the hearts and flowers that had been plaguing the offices for the past week. Except for the chocolate, of course. To her, the chocolate was the best part of the holiday.

Walking in to her office, she sighed in frustration and anticipation when she saw not one but several boxes and a bouquet of pink roses sitting on her desk. Dropping her briefcase next to her chair, she sat down. She didn't need to look at the card on the roses; she already knew they were from her father. He sent them every year. Pulling the first box toward her, it was the standard red heart box filled with Cherry Cordials from Oliver Babish. All of the deputies got one. Two smaller boxes filled with juju hearts and sweet tarts came from friends and the forth box was hand selected Sees candies from Sam.

Plucking a pineapple truffle from Sam's box, Ainsley sat back in her chair. She was disappointed there was nothing from 'him'. She'd taken what Leo'd told her to heart. She really believed her 'mystery man' would reveal himself today. She knew the day was far from over, and there was still a chance to hear from him, but she wasn't going to hold her breath. Stacking up the boxes of candy to took them and the bouquet from her father and set them on the side table so she could work on her desk and not be tempted to gorge herself on the candy in attempts to forget about him and the fact she hadn't received anything from him.

Immersing herself in her work was another way she tried to put him out of her mind. She worked straight through the morning only munching on the various candies whenever her stomach started to growl. That alone was highly unlike her and had several of her co-workers commenting on it and Donna coming to find her when she hadn't shown up for lunch. It was well into the afternoon when someone knocked on her door.

"Ainsley Hayes?"

Looking at the young man, Ainsley replied, "Yes."

"I have a delivery. I need you to sign for it," he said as he handed her a clipboard, pointing to where he needed her signature.

Ainsley signed her name and watched as he tucked the clipboard under his arm and walked out, only to return with a large bouquet of deep red roses. He set the vase on the side table along with the other bouquet and handed her the card that accompanied the flowers.

Looking at the envelope she held, Ainsley couldn't help but smile. He'd come through after all. Without even reading the note, the fact that 'he' sent her flowers made her day. The envelope and note was the same heavy linen paper as the others. The dollop of sealing wax was red but instead of the star impression, it was a heart. 

Carefully opening the envelope she read the note:

_I didn't want to be one of the crowd.  
There are 23 roses, come to dinner and collect the final one.  
Café Campangia  
8 pm_

She read then reread the note. Dinner tonight. She would finally meet him. She still had several hours to go and she knew the rest of the day was shot to hell in terms of her getting any more work done. How could she concentrate knowing what was going to happen tonight? Knowing that she would finally be able to put a name and a face to her 'mystery man' At the same time all her anxiety about meeting him came rushing back along with all the questions she'd ever asked herself about this situation.

Giving up on getting any more real work done, Ainsley called her closest friend in all Washington and invited Cliff to an afternoon playing hooky, she could talk to him and at the very least he could keep her calm until her date.

****

Ainsley walked into the restaurant a few minutes before eight. Cliff had helped her choose the simple black dress with its long sleeves and rounded neckline, at Cliff's insistence she'd left her hair down. He'd told her if he was setting up a romantic evening, he'd want her hair down. The black dress also showed off the heart pendant she'd received almost six weeks before. Giving her name to the maître d', she was immediately shown to a private room.

Gasping when she walked in, Ainsley stood in the doorway, her hand resting on her chest and the glass heart as she took in the room. It was her idea of the ultimate in romantic. The two-person table was set with crystal and china. Candles grouped together on standing pedestals lit the room, giving it a soft warm glow and gently scented the air with almond. 

The maître d' cleared his throat to get her attention then escorted her to her seat and quietly excused himself. At her place on the table was a single red rose laying on an envelope and another box in paper with red roses.

First smelling the rose, Ainsley then reached for the box. Removing the paper she folded it and placed it under the rose for safekeeping. Inside the red velvet box was a hand blown glass heart. The candlelight shimmered off the slight iridescence and almost highlighted the imperfections and bubbles in the glass. Gently replacing the heart in its box, she picked up the note and opened it.

_My heart is as imperfect and as fragile as the glass one.  
Will you cherish it or break it?_

She read the note a second time, letting the vulnerability he expressed sink in. Picking up the heart again, Ainsley turned it letting the light catch its beauty as it moved. Would she cherish his heart or would she break it, she wished she knew. She knew one man's heart she would cherish, but that was a dream. Could she cherish another man? Could she learn to care for another man?

She heard the quiet snick of the door opening and closing again. 'He' was right behind her. For all her bravado about making the move for him, she couldn't turn around. Then she heard him quietly call her name and her world stopped.

Gently replacing the heart, she stood up. Turning around she saw him standing there in his tux with his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for her answer.

"Cherish it," she said softly as she slowly walked toward the man she always hoped but never believed it could be. Leo McGarry.

Leo never said a word as she walked toward him but when she was close enough he pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her. Sighing when they parted, he continued to hold her content to feel her against him for the moment.

"I'll cherish you, your heart and every glass heart you've given me. Forever." 

 

The End


End file.
